In a car collision the driver\'s body must change speed from a high value to zer
ID: 1836937 • Letter: I
Question
In a car collision the driver's body must change speed from a high value to zero, This is true whether or not an airbag is used, so why use an airbag? How does it reduce injuries? You want to close an open door by throwing either a 400 g lump of clay or a 400 g rubber ball toward it. You can throw either object with the same speed, but they are different in that the rubber ball bounces off the door while the clay just sticks to the door. Which projectile will apply the larger impulse to the door and be more likely to close it? Explain and justify your answer.Explanation / Answer
1) when there is an airbag , the distance travelled by the driver while stopping is much larger which results in lower force acting on the driver and the injuries are reduced.
2)
as for the lump of clay ,
change in momentum = m * v
for the rubber ball
change in momentum = m * (v - (-v))
change in momentum = 2 * m * v
as Impulse provided to the door = change in momentum of ball
larger impulse is provided by the rubber ball and it is more likely to close it